Fastening device for car-doors



No: 6l3,0 |3. Patented Oct. 25,1898.

- a. LIGHTHISER.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR CAR DOORS, 8w.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1898.)

(No new.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE LIGHTI-IISER, O'F TOLEDO, OHIO.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR CAR-DOORS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,013, dated October25, 1898.

Application filed March 21, 1898. Serial No. 674,672. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE LIGHTHISER, a citizen of the UnitedSta-tes,residin g at Toled o, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Fastening Device, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to looks and latches, and particularly to afastening device adapted for use in connection with car-doors,barndoors, gates, &c.,the same beingconstructed for the use inconnection therewith of a seal or a padlock; and the object in view isto provide a simple, efficient, and durable construction and arrangementof parts whereby qhe operations of lockin g and unlocking a door or gateare facilitated.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a locking deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention applied in the operativeposition to a car-door, the parts of the lock being shown in theiroperative positions. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the latchdisplaced and supported by one of the rests. Fig. 3 is a detail viewofthe latch and swivel, showing the rear side of the former and indicatingin dotted lines the contiguous portion of the securing-plate.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a hasp which is loosely mounted for universal swingingmovement upon a staple 2, which. is preferably provided with asecuring-plate 3, said hasp being provided in its edges withtransversely opposite notches 4 and 4, and any desired number of sets orpairs of notches may be employed to suit the conditions under which thelock is to be used.

The other member of the lock consists, essen plate 9, which is common toand preferably carries the post 5, the swivel 10, to which the latch isconnected by a transverse pivot 11, being mounted for revoluble movementon the securing-plate, whereby the latch is capable of universalswinging movement parallel with and perpendicular to the plane of thesecuring-plate.

Any suitable means may be employed for maintaining the latch inengagement with the fixed post 5, such as a seal 11*, for which purposethe said post is extended to form a perforated car 12, while the hasp isprovided witha perforation 13, through which the sealwire may bethreaded. It will be understood, however, that a padlock may be engagedwith the perforated ear of the post 5 when the device is used inconnection with barn-doors, gates, &c.

From the above description it will be seen that the opposite notches ofthe hasp are engaged, respectively, with a fixed projection on thesecuring or base plate (such fixed projection consisting of the post 5,having a notch or seat forming a shoulder behind which the contiguousportion of the hasp is fitted) and a movable projection on the latch;but in order that the said movable projection may be further braced thanby the terminal engagement of the latch respectively with the swivel andthe post 5 1 preferably provide the securing or base plate with a seat14, into which the rear end of the lug 8 extends when engaged with thenotch 4 of the hasp. This forms an interlocking connection between theparts, which insures the fastening of a door 15 or other sliding objectin its closed position or in its adjusted position, as when, par

ticularly in connection with car-doors, it is desired to secure the samein a partly-open position to give ventilation to the contentsof the car.The lug 8*, however, performs an additional function which is desirablein this class of devices as facilitating the operation of releasing andopening a door to which the lock is attached. This additional functionis performed in connection with rests 16, located, respectively,contiguous to the side edges of the securingplate or base-plate 9 andapproximately in the horizontal plane of the swivel, said lug beingengaged with one of these rests, as shown in Fig. 2, to maintain thelatch in its inoperative or disengaged position, whereby the hasp may bereadily disvan engaged from the fixed projection and used as a handle bywhich the door may be moved to its open position.

From the above description it will be seen that the device asconstructed is simple and compact and the parts are so interlocked andbraced to give the necessary strength to insure efficiency under suchstrains as those to which devices of this class are frequentlysubjected. Furthermore, it will be seen that the free end of the hasp 1is tapered at both edges, or toward a central line, and that the post 5,with which the lower notch of the hasp engages, is beveled at its upperside or at the upper edge of the ear 12, and in connection with the haspI preferably employ a guide or keeper 17 of such a length as to allowswinging movement of the hasp parallel with the planes of the base-plate9 a sufficient distance to secure the proper engagement of the hasp withthe post 5. Thus whether the lock em bodying my invention is used inconnection with a sliding or a swinging door the hasp may be engagedwith the stationary member or the post 5 without manual intervention.For instance, if the device is used in connection with the sliding door,such as a car-door, the tapered extremity of the hasp Will ride over thepost 5 until the notch thereof drops into engagement, and if the lock isapplied to a swinging door the lower edge of the hasp will ride upon thebeveled upper edge of the ear 12 until it reaches the plane of the notch6. It will also be seen that the hasp being reversible adapts the lock,which is otherwise .of reversible construction, to be applied to eithera right or a left hand door, and a plurality of notches may be providedin each edge of the hasp to compensate for shrinkage or to enable thedoor to be secured in a partlyopen position.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

. and the minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of thisinvention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a lock of theclass described, the combination of a hasp provided in its side edgeswith opposite notches, a base-plate having a fixed projection forengagement by one of the notches of the hasp, and provided with a seatin registration with the other notch of the hasp, and a swinging latchhaving an opening to receive the fixed projection and carrying arearwardly-extending lug to engage said registering notch and seat,substantially as specified.

2. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a hasp havingopposite notches, a fixed projection with which one of said notches ofthe hasp is engaged, a swiveled latch, mounted for universal swingingmovement, and provided with means for engaging said fixed projection,and with a rearwardlyextending lug to engage the other notch of thehasp, and a fixed rest arranged contiguous to the swiveled extremity ofthe latch, for engagement by said lug to support the latch in itsinoperative position, substantially as specified.

3. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a hasp providedin its opposite edges with notches, a securing-plate carrying a fixedprojection terminating in a perforated ear and adapted for engagement byone of the notches of the hasp, said fixed projection having a notch orseat to interlock with that of the hasp, and said securing-plate alsohaving a seat in registration with the other notch of the hasp, a swivelmounted upon the securing-plate above said seat, a latch pivotallymounted upon said swivel, and having a slot to engage the fixedprojection, and a rear- Wardly-extending lug to engage said registeringnotch and seat, respectively, in the hasp and securing-plate, and fixedrests carried by the securing-plate contiguous to and upon oppositesides of the swivel for engagement by said ing of the latch, to maintainthe latter in its inoperative position ,substantially as specified.

, 4. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a hasp mountedfor swinging movement and provided with a tapered free end and in itsedges with opposite notches, means for limiting the swinging movement ofthe hasp, a fixed post having a beveled upper edge and cut away at therear end of the beveled edge to form a notch for the reception of thelower edge of the hasp, and a swinging latch and securing devices forengaging the hasp and holding it in engagement with said post,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LIGHTHISER.

Witnesses:

W. H. RoosE, JOHN R. CALDER.

